Apes and monkeys are types of primates found on Azeroth.[citation needed] The term "primate" is actually never used in World of Warcraft and possibly not in any other Warcraft-related materials. This term is used by players to associate types of creatures. Druids are able to summon several species as nature's allies.[1]

Gorillas have been seen mostly in jungle-like regions, such as Stranglethorn Vale, Feralas, and Un'Goro Crater. World of Warcraft does not distinguish between apes and gorillas. They are all considered gorillas.[2]

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These powerful omnivores resemble gorillas but are far more aggressive; they kill and eat anything they can catch. An adult male ape is 5-1/2 to 6 feet tall and weighs 300 to 400 pounds. Apes tear prey apart with their mighty claws. They live in warm forests.[3]

Dire apes are found on Azeroth and in the Emerald Dream.[4] They are larger species of standard ape standing about 9 feet tall and weighs from 800 to 1,200 pounds. It is a large gorilla with silver down on its back. It has a shaggy coat that does little to hide the muscles in its frame, which bulge far more than normal muscles should.[5] They can also be summoned by druids.[1] Some druids choose them as their an animal companion.[6] Dire apes attack anything that enters their territory, even other dire apes. If an opponent’s armor foils a dire ape’s attacks, the creature attempts to grapple and pin, then rend the prone opponent.[5]

The Vrykul, ancestors of Warcraft Humans may have descended from primates in a similar way to the real life theory of evolution. In this scenario, primates are not only connected to Vrykul and humans, but came before them. Another theory is, that the primates devolved from Vrykul or humans, possibly as an advanced form of the "curse of flesh", similar to how some of the earthen devolved into troggs. This could very well be plausible. This theory is, of course, highly speculative, but it is a possible explanation for the existence of primates on Azeroth. It is worth mentioning that the ancestors of humans, the Azotha were likely created from the curse of flesh. Judging by the Azotha ruins in Stranglethorn Vale, it is likely that the Azotha lived there before, or during their time in the Arathi Highlands. The fact that there are countless primates in Stranglethorn adds credence to this theory.

Conspiracy theories in real life have stated that Alien races have visited planet earth and genetically engineered ape-like creatures into modern Humans, shaping the apes into the Image of Creators, who would have been Human like. This would explain Titans having a similar relationship in "shaping" the Azeroth, with the possibility of shaping the Vrykul from primates.